How to Create a Content Strategy

In my recent post, “How to Create an Editorial Strategy for Your Blog: Part Two,” I mentioned my approach is one of many you have to choose from when setting out to define the editorial strategy for your blog. Your editorial strategy for your blog is really a content strategy – specific to your blog.

Since some of you may need to broaden the scope of your content strategy beyond your blog, and also because I promised to follow-up with some additional resources for you, I’ve pulled together five of the best posts I could find about “How to Create a Content Strategy.” I’ve read hundreds of articles about how to create a content strategy and have personally found the resources below to be the most helpful when I’ve needed to create a content strategy for myself or clients and organizations I’ve worked for.

You could use the content strategy “how-tos” – the suggestions and guidance shared throughout these resources – as an alternative or complement to my post for creating an editorial strategy for your blog, or to help you expand the focus of your content strategy to include all your earned, owned and paid channels.

If I missed a really great post you think should be on this list, please add your suggestion for readers in the comments below. I hope these additional resources help you in your quest to create your content strategy. If I can answer any questions or provide any additional information on this subject, please let me know.

How to Create a Content Strategy

I hand-picked the following posts because I believe they are among the best resources out there to help you create a content strategy – whether for your blog, or for all of your channels. Please let me know what you think of the suggestions.

“How to Write a Content Marketing Strategy Step-By-Step [w/Strategy Template!],” by Jeffrey Kranz, BufferSocial Blog, November 2015 – you had me at step-by-step Jeffrey, but throwing in a template for us to use is simply icing on the cake. If my 4,000-word step-by-step guide for creating an editorial strategy was too much for you, you’ll probably find Jeffrey’s post to be more palatable.

“How to Create a Successful Blog Strategy: A Step-By-Step Guide,” by Will Blunt, HubSpot’s Marketing Blog, December 2014 – HubSpot is pretty much awesome at everything, at least when it comes to marketing content, so it’s no surprise that this alternate step-by-step guide is pretty solid. If you didn’t like Jeffrey’s approach above (or you bleed HubSpot orange), you’ll probably enjoy Will’s approach and forget about the one I wrote for you.

“10 Steps to a More Successful Blog Editorial Strategy,” by Sean Blanda, Content Marketing Institute, March 2012 – whether you used my advice, or you jumped ship and joined Jeffrey or Will’s crew after reading the above posts, you’ll still want to read Sean’s post. Why just have a successful blog editorial strategy when you can have a MORE successful editorial strategy? Sean delivers some great advice in this must-read post.

“A Content Strategy Template You Can Build On,” by Isla McKetta, MozBlog, September 2014 – if you’re struggling with what format to use for your content strategy, it can feel like you’re stranded on a deserted isla (see what I did there?). If you’re not sure where to start, or you were simply hoping a template would wash up on shore, this post has what you’ve been looking for.

“How to Develop Your Digital Content Strategy,” by Jeremy Porter, Journalistics, March 2015 – what’s that quote that’s been popping up in everyone’s presentations lately? Oh yeah, “There is no digital strategy, just strategy in a digital world.” It’s a nit-picky quote and I don’t like it. If you need a content strategy for your digital channels – though I guess it could work for all channels, which is the point – then my post from last March could be worth a read. I offer some similar guidance from my posts on blog strategy, but more broad to address your needs across other channels.

What do you think? What additional resources out there do you think I should have shared on the topic of “How to Create a Content Strategy?” You know what to do…

Sharing is caring...

Jeremy Porter has been passionate about the intersection of public relations and journalism since studying both Public Relations and Journalism at Utica College of Syracuse University in the late 90s.
Porter launched Journalistics in 2009 to share his ideas and insights around both professions and how trends and developments in modern day marketing, communications, and technology impact those working in these fields.
Porter also values the traditions and history of both professions and regularly shares his perspective in these areas - and related topics geared toward the next generation of journalism and public relations professionals.

Sharing is caring...

I’ve written a lot this past month about how to develop an editorial strategy for your blog – and I’ve shared some additional thoughts about how to create a broader content strategy for all your other […]

Sharing is caring...

1 Comment

“Your editorial strategy for your blog is really a content strategy – specific to your blog.” This line stuck with me. It is true, without an editorial strategy how do you know what you need to post? Knowing the tone of your content helps when making a content calendar. The hardest part of content calendars is not having your posts match. If you are posting serious content you cannot randomly have some memes etc.

About the Editor

Jeremy Porter has been passionate about the intersection of public relations and journalism since studying both Public Relations and Journalism at Utica College of Syracuse University in the late 90s.
Porter launched Journalistics in 2009 to share his ideas and insights around both professions and how trends and developments in modern day marketing, communications, and technology impact those working in these fields.
Porter also values the traditions and history of both professions and regularly shares his perspective in these areas - and related topics geared toward the next generation of journalism and public relations professionals.